Holder for fluorescent lamps



Feb. 10, 1942. R KULKA 2,272,528

HOLDER FOR FLUORESCENT LAMPS Filed Nov. 19, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l NIH" INVENTOR. fugf/s E M14 #4 BY M0610 w ATTORNEY 5 Feb. 10, 1942. E. R. KULKA HOLDER FOR FLUORESCENT LAMPS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 19, 1940 INVENTOR. Eves/vs f2 Jud/4 Wm y 5814 ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 10, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOLDER FOR. FLUORESCENT LAMPS Eugene R. Kulka, Mount Vernon, N. Y. Application November 19, 1940, Serial No. 366,226

2 Claims.

My invention relates to a new and improved holder for fluorescent lamps.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a holder for fluorescent lamps whereby the lamps can be held vertically or in various positions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a holder of superior ornamental effect, and in which the wiring can be concealed.

Other objects of my invention will be set forth in the following description and drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, it being understood that the above statement of the objects of my invention is intended generally to explain the same and without limiting it in any manner.

Fig. 1 is a vertical elevation, partially in section, showing the improved device.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail elevation of one of the holding devices.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 diagrammatically illustrates the circuit of the device of Fig. 1, omitting the starter, the line inductance, and other conventional circuit parts.

While fluorescent lamps have come into extensive use for many purposes, their field of use has been limited, especially for household purposes, because a satisfactory and ornamental holder has not yet been developed.

A fluorescent lamp consists of an envelope which is made of glass or other light-permeable material. This envelope contains some mercury and it also contains certain salts which fluoresce, under the action of heated mercury vapor. Lamps of this type are respectively provided with one or more heating coils. The common practice is to provide each fluorescent lamp with a heating coil adjacent each end thereof. Each of these heating coils has its ends connected to a pair of metal prongs which project longitudinally from the end wall of the metal head of the glass envelope.

Fig. 1 shows the glass envelope I. Each of the ends of the glass envelope l is located in a metal cap 2. Each end of the envelope is provided with a heating coil C. Each metal cap 2 is provided with a pair of contact prongs 3, which are respectively connected to the ends of the respective coil C. The holder comprises a body 4, which is made of porcelain or other suitable insulating material.

As shown in Fig. 3, the inner end-face of said body 4, which faces the prongs 3, is provided with parallel grooves 5. These grooves 5 do not extend through the body 4. Resilient contact springs 6 have resilient shanks of angular formation, which are located in said grooves 5. The body 4 and its parts are of well-known and conventional construction, so that a detailed description thereof is unnecessary. The prongs 3 can be forced into the position shown in Fig. 3, in which they are releasably held by the contact springs 6. Each spring 6 is fixed to the respective body 4 only at one end thereof.- In Fig. 3, these fixed ends are the upper ends of said springs 6.

A metal cap 1 is fixed to each body 4, by screws 8, whose shanks enter threaded bosses of the respective metal cap 1. The wires W which are to be electrically connected to the respective ends of each coil 0, pass through a bore of each metal cap 1, and said wires are detachably connected in the well-known manner to the fixed ends of the springs 6.

The ends of each coil C can thus be electrically connected to the respective wires W by the respective prongs 3 and springs 6.

The central bore of each cap 1 is tapped. The threaded end of a coupling 8a can be screwed into the central tapped bore of each cap 1. Each coupling 8a is clamped in position by a clamping screw 9. Each coupling 8a has a detachable pin I0 which fits in a longitudinal recess of the respective cap 1, in order further to prevent relative turning movement between each coupling 8a and the respective cap I.

The adjacent ends of each pair of couplings 8a are detachably fixed in the bores of a coupling nipple H. A central pipe-coupling I2 is connected to the nipples l I. The members 8a, I I and I2 can be respectively connected detachably to each other in any suitable manner, as by clamping screws, or a drive fit, etc. The top coupling nipple II can be screwed downwardly upon pipe coupling l2, until the adjacent ends of couplings 8a can be located in the position shown in Fig. 1. Said coupling nipple II is then turned or screwed so as to move it upwardly, so that the upper tapped part of coupling nipple I l engages the adjacent threaded ends of couplings 8a. The bottom nipple II is connected to the adjacent ends of the bottom couplings 8a, in a similar manner.

One of the nipples II is provided with a lug to which a suspension chain a is connected.

Fig. 6 shows the circuit of'the four heating coils C. One of the line wires L is connected to the point ll. Wires W are connected to point l4 and' to the ends Ca of the respective bottom coils C. The wires 15 and ii are respectively connected to the respective ends Cb of said bottom .coils C. These wires l5 and iii are respectively connected by branch wires W to the ends Cd of the respective top coils C. The ends Ce of the top coils C are connected by wires W to line wire La at the point IT. The wires L, [5 and I6, are located in the central coupling I2. This system can be utilized for connecting one fluorescent lamp, or more than two fluorescent lamps.

By means of very simple and cheap additions to the conventional holders, it is therefore possible to provide an efficient and ornamental holder, in which substantially all the wiring is concealed.

I have described a preferred embodiment of the invention, but it is clear that numerous changes and omissions have been made without departing from its spirit.

I claim:

1. A holder for a pair of fluorescent lamps of the type which have separate internal heating coils at the ends of each said lamp and a pair of metal prongs which are connected to the end of each said heating coils, a pair of said prongs projecting longitudinally from each end of each lamp, comprising body members made of insulating material, each body member being releasably connected at its inner face to a pair of said prongs by contact means to which respective wires can be connected, each body member having a cap affixed thereto at the outer end face of the respective body member, each cap having a longitudinal bore, hollow and rigid coupling members, each coupling member being connected at one end thereof to a respective cap and communicating with the-bore of the respective cap, the other end of each said coupling, member being connected to an auxiliary rigid hollow coupling member, all the wires for the circuits of said lamps being-located in said coupling members save for portions of the line wires which project from said auxiliary coupling member.

2. A holder for a pair of fluorescent lamps of the type which have separate internal heating coils at the ends of each said lamp and a pair of metal prongs which are connected to the end of each said heating coils, a pair of said prongs projecting. longitudinally from each end of each lamp, comprising body members made of insulating material, each body member being releasably connected at its inner face to a pair of said prongs by contact means to which respective wires can be connected, each body member having a cap aflixed thereto at the outer end face of the respective body member, each cap having a longitudinal bore, hollow and rigid coupling members, each coupling member being connected at one end thereof to a respective cap and communicating with the bore of the respective cap, the other end of each said coupling member being connected to an auxiliary rigid hollow coupling member, all the wires for the circuits of said lamps'being located in said coupling members save for portions of the line wires which project from said auxiliary coupling member, said auxiliary coupling member being located between said lamps and being substantially parallel to said lamps.

EUGENE R. KULKA. 

